MARU. By Bessie Head

Why would TWO obviously very powerful men in one "rustic" society go after a woman supposed to be an 'outcast"? Why would they pull out all the stops to have her? .This is the situation we are confronted with here. Men are almost always attracted to physical attributes of women, but the lady in question, Margaret is not really described as a beauty or very desirable, though she is rather educated. I think the author should have given us strong reasons why two such important men would desire a woman most of society would frown down upon. But it seems the author's main interest is to show the special powers of Maru, the man in particular.  - Madolyn Chukwu

THE ADVENTURES OF SOUZA. By Kola Onadipe

This book used to be in our house for years, many years ago. It was loved by my brothers in their youth, and later on I would read it too as a young girl, or young woman. 

 

It is a very good story for the young, exciting and also frightening. Souza's adventures seem very much real and realistic and quite dangerous too. I could have sworn then that these adventures did happen, and the boy, and others was NOT a good boy! 

Rural life brought to life in brilliant African fashion, with the author very much part of the society - hence the gripping reality. But having said that, with the benefit of hindsight one can say this book, and others like it authored by Africans, are essentially aimed at African boys, African males in their youth. 

I hardly remember such books aimed at the African girl with such popularity. So African female writers were rare, which explained why one did not see such books that girls like myself could identify with? Or maybe one just did not see such books then written by our female writers, eg Flora Nwapa? 

One did read the occasional Nancy Drew book (for example), but such works of course were never aimed at the African young woman.

- Lupna Avery